George Szell: One Conductor's Long-Haul Commitment

June 7th marked the birth date of Hungarian-born conductor and pianist George Szell. It's not a round-numbered anniversary - the 114th - but there is a birthday present of sorts. A brand new biography, Michael Charry's George Szell: A Life of Music, was published by University of Illinois Press last week. Szell is best remembered as the man who, over 24 years, meticulously molded the Cleveland Orchestra into one of the finest ensembles in the world.--from NPR